


A Spark Of Interest

by LittleGaySheep



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon GO
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Alternate Universe - Pokemon GO Fusion, And Blanche, And Candela, Background Misty/Ash, But he stills hangs around Prof. Willow, But nothing happens that'd be creepy, Cute, Does that make it underage?, Double Life, Hugging, I won't tag it, James is 17, James is Gay, James loves his pokemon, James' Bottle Caps, Jessie Is Oblivious, Jessie cares, Kissing, M/M, Misty is crushing on Ash, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Praise Kink, Secrets, Sharing a Bed, Spark is 18, Spark is not a team leader, Spark owns the Instinct Gym, Team Rocket - Freeform, but it's not important, disguises, smut in later chapters, they're 10
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-06 14:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17941874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleGaySheep/pseuds/LittleGaySheep
Summary: When Team Rocket is blasted away yet again, James finds himself in an encounter with a cute stranger. Spark, the leader of the Instinct Gym, is just passing by when he finds an injured boy with lavender hair in the middle of the forest. Can James harbor his secrets from both Spark and Jessie? And how long can he keep up with his two lives before they come crashing down? And can Ash ever notice Misty actually likes him?





	1. Blasting Away Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is both my first on Ao3 and my first ever online fic, so please let me know what you think and if you think I made an error. Hope you enjoy it!

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!” She sang, to the same tune as per usual.

James smiled internally, always just a bit anxious for his part, but who couldn’t be? “To extend our reach to the stars above!” He added on cue.

“Jessie,”

“James.”

He knew how much of a team they were, them and Meowth, despite their fights. “Surrender now, or prepare to fight, fight, fight!”

Said pokémon leapt up to his cue, and he watched the twerps as they stood patiently irritated through the entire routine until it was over. But then again, there wasn’t much to do when you’re in a pit.

“Can we just go?” Came Ash’s voice, slightly tired but still aware. Pikachu yelled out, tiny voice full of anger. He shuffled around in the hole, trying to find leverage to climb out. Misty and Brock were silent, but their faces radiated irritation, especially Misty’s. However, try as they might, the pit was quite deep as well as steep.

James was a bit proud of this hole, the one he and Meowth dug. He had already forgotten his past irritation with Jessie’s lack of desire to help, and for now the focus was on the show they put on. Their presentation was, of course, fabulous.

“Sure,” he replied, peering into the hole, “just give us Pikachu!”

His furry teammate chimed in soon after, “and don’t try nothin’ neither! We got rubber suits,” he said, only for Jessie to finish, “So you can shock us all you want!”

Ash groaned in frustration, before called out one of his pokémon to handle it. “Cyndaquil, use flamethrower!”

The excited shout of “Cyndaquil!” from the small fire-type wasn’t as exciting for Team Rocket of course, seeing as they had electricity proof gloves and suits. Unfortunately, matching dual fire _and_ electric proof suits were not easy to find. Then again, didn’t he have grass pokémon like that Bayleaf too? Well, you couldn’t proof for everything, James supposed, before being blasted away again.

Mid air, James revisited the reason the twerp was there. A passing man named “Spark” was it? Sounds like an eccentric old gym leader, probably has good pokémon, too. He didn’t see anyone else, so he assumed the man didn’t know about the confrontation.

As they landed in a vague patch of forest he could have swore he saw before, he checked himself quickly for major injuries. A few good scrapes, but otherwise fine, save for being sore. What was odd, was that when he asked if his teammates were alright, he didn’t get an answer.

He sat upright and looked around, not seeing them anywhere. “Jessie? Meowth?” He called, his voice laced with a bit of fear, both for them and himself.

He shed the burnt suit, setting it aside. He continued to look for them, ignoring the dirt and leaves collected on his uniform.

James was so focused on looking for them he didn’t hear anyone approach. That was, until he heard a worried but unfamiliar voice.

“Are you alright?”

James squealed, before whipping around to face the owner of the voice, who apparently really liked wearing orange. He was blonde, tall, and very concerned. Probably wanted an answer too. “I’m fine, just had a... fall.”

He nodded for a second before rushing over, pulling at his now gloveless hand and forearm. “Oh you got pretty hurt, here let me just...” he trailed off, attempting to clean the scratches with his possibly endless amount of antibiotic and disinfectant. _Was_ his backpack endless?

Obviously the man didn’t think about personal space, having taken to checking him over briefly. James was uncomfortable to say the least, but found the energetic man somewhat likeable. “I’m ok, really. I’ve survived worse.”

The blonde seemed unsure of his answer, but dropped it for now. He backed up a bit and picked his bag back up. “Are you a pokémon trainer?”

“You... could say so.” He replied, not quite sure if he had any better answers.

“Oh, were those your friends then?” The man asked, implying the people he was looking for. “You were calling for them.”

“Who? Oh, Jessie and Meowth? Yeah, I kind of lost them, but I’m sure they’ll be just fine.” Well, he assumed, so. “Who are you anyway?” He finally asked, tired of it being a mystery.

“Oh, I’m Spark!” He grinned, practically radiating joy. “What about you?”

“I’m James,” he paused for a moment, wondering if it’d be fair to even try to steal from the man who obviously was kind to him, even as a stranger. Even then, did he even know who Team Rocket was?

“That’s a cute name,” Spark continued as if it was nothing, making the seventeen year-old flush a bit, “Hey, can I see your pokémon?”

“Ah... sure.” He wasn’t sure if it was the best choice, but Victreebel couldn’t be that bad. “Victreebel, go!” He called as the pokéball opened up.

As if it was its only job, Victreebel clung to its owner’s face, making him fairly uncomfortable. “Victreebel, no! Get off my face!” He cried, sighing when it finally unattached from him. He expected laughter, which he suspiciously did not hear.

“Wow! That Victreebel really loves you! And it’s a big one too!” He examined the grass-type thoroughly, his short blonde tufts of hair flopping, only a second behind him every time he moved his head. “You must be a really great trainer!”

James had to admit the compliment brought heat to his face, and he didn’t notice that his ‘thanks’ was mostly mumbled, but the smile on the man’s face said he probably heard it anyway. After a few silent seconds, and a moment of James wondering what inclined the man to wear tight leather pants out for a walk, he asked him if he was a gym leader.

“Oh, yeah. I train electric-types, mainly. I work with Professor Willow sometimes. Heard of him?” James shook his head with a quick ‘no, not really’, “Ah, well, it’s a while from here, anyway.” He said, idly petting the Victreebel who enjoyed the attention, as he brushed a few strands of his platinum hair back in silence.

James noticed how pretty Spark was, with his scattered freckles and gentle features. Even more so, he noticed how enthusiastic he was about everything pokémon, and wanted to know more about him. However, he knew he had to get back to his team. They probably were fine, but he couldn’t sit right with the idea of his friends getting hurt because of his negligence.

“I have to go.” The lavender haired man said, regretfully. “To find my friends.” He called Victreebel back into its ball, the man standing up beside him. “It’s not that I don’t like you, I do, you’re very nice, but I have to go.” He blurted, internally embarrassed by his fast paced sentence.

“It’s not a problem. Maybe we can... talk later? I have the address of where I’m staying, here!” He smiled, scribbling on a partly fried notebook, and shoving the now crumpled note into his new friend’s hand. “Come see me later?” He asked, sounding a bit hopeful under that enthusiasm.

“I...,” He paused, knowing that he can’t go making promises, “I’ll try.” He assured, smiling back at him. His face lit up, taking James by surprise. “Bye!” He yelled as he started backing up, before turning around and running off. He was at least going to try to see him again, as long as his teammates didn’t catch on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a bit late, but here you go!

All that James could hear was the chittering of Rattatas and Pidgeys, and the sound of his own steps as he walked. He hadn’t found any clues as to where his teammates were, and was starting to wish he followed his new found friend. That was, until he heard the shrill shrieking of his female counterpart. Picking up speed, he found his teammates being chased by a very angry Ursaring, a smug little Teddiursa in tow. He was going to come up with a great plan any moment now. That was, until he was being chased too.

“Why are they so angry?” He yelled, looking behind him frequently.

“We may or may not have,” she admitted, huffing breaking her sentences, “tried to steal the Teddiursa.”

Meowth was the first to notice the low-hanging branch up ahead. “Up ‘dere! Quick!”

The trio mounted the branch as quickly as possible, trying to avoid the distressed pokémon and its child. James, having now had a chance to really look at the two, noticed that neither had their suits on anymore, Jessie in her uniform and Meowth in- well, nothing. “What happened to your suits?”

Jessie shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the Ursaring below. “I figured we didn’t really need it now. What happened to your shirt?” She said, gesturing to the dirtied up white top, where the red “R” for Rocket was barely recognisable.

“Oh, I didn’t notice that,” he paused, guessing Spark didn’t see the ‘R’ either, “that makes sense.” He continued, looking at his shirt.

“What does?” Meowth questioned idly, brushing dirt off himself. 

He looked up, wondering if he should keep things a secret, especially from his team. “Hmm? Oh, nothing, I fell, it makes sense to be dirty.” He followed up, and hoped a quick answer wasn’t suspicious.

“Hmm.” She was about to question him on why it took so long to find them, when the branch snapped from under them.

The trio squealed, falling not-so-gracefully onto their rears. Surprisingly, the furious Ursaring was nowhere to be found. 

“Where’d it go?” The smallest member questioned, a bit confused. “It must have disappeared.” Jessie finished.

“Speaking of disappearin’, James, where were ya’?”

All eyes were on James, and the teammate in question stiffed up, unsure if he could come up with a good excuse. “I... got lost. This forest is very winding, you know.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Jessie commented, more focused on other matters now, “But I’m hungry so how about we get lunch? There’s a town not far, I think.”

James jumped on the new subject eagerly, “Oh, definitely, let’s eat!” He picked himself off the ground, and pulled Jessie up as well, Meowth having already gotten up.

The walk into the lively town was short, as the change between forest and city was very sudden. 

“Ooh, what should we get?” Jessie murmured, enthusiastic about the idea of food. 

“Not much, we spent everytin’ already, remember?” The pokémon with them commented, bringing down Jessie’s mood within seconds. Said girl was moping quietly, slumped over a bench.

James was quiet, reaching into his pockets, excited when he felt a few smooth objects and remembered he had a few coins left with him from their last job, “Wait, I found some money!”

His teammates were over in seconds, watching his hand open up. “Half of those are just bottle caps!” Jessie fussed, hoping that even one was usable. 

“Hey, ‘dose two ain’t bottle caps!” Meowth purred, pulling the coins out of his hand happily.

"Let's go look in there then!" Jessie said with newfound enthusiasm, dragging the two into the nearest shop. She looked around before sitting down on a bench right outside the building.

Jessie grinned, having decided already what they’d buy. “James, go get some sandwiches, we’ll wait for you here.”

He was just about to complain, but figured that if he wanted to be able to get out that night without suspicion, he should try to stay on their good sides. “Not a problem Jess, one moment!” He stepped back in, picking up a map on the way to buy the food.

The other two watched him scurry off, Jessie looking at the town absentmindedly. 

“Does he seem off ta’ you?” The bipedal pokémon asked, waiting for his friend and meal to show up.

“What do you mean Meowth?” She walked over to a nearby stack of papers, taking one and reading it excitedly.

He paused before continuing. “I don’ know, he hasn't said too much since we got back together, and he didn't even complain when you told him ta' buy-.” 

"Hold that thought Meowth. Check this out," She showed him the flyer, "a talent show in two days, and there's a prize!"

"Yeah, but talent shows require talent Jessie." He commented, much to Jessie's frustration. 

Jessie's rage however, was short lived, noticing the lavender haired boy’s return, bag in hand.

Taking to a nearby park, they sat down to eat, Jessie taking her meal before either could get theirs, Meowth remarking about her speed.

James remained silent through it, and she questioned him after finishing a few bites, mouth still partly full. “Are you ok James?”

He nodded, swallowing. “I’m fine Jess.”

“See Meowth, I told you. He’s fine.”

James was about to question when the topic of him even came up when he noticed a familiar head of black hair, topped with a hat, and an even more familiar Pikachu on the owner’s shoulders. “It’s the twerps!” He yelled in a hushed voice, watching the trio walk by unsuspecting.

"We should wait." Jessie commented, much to their surprise.

He wasn't quite sure what she had in mind. "And why's that Jessie?”

"We always rush in," She broke her sentence with another bite, "and the twerps always get in our way. This time I say we wait until they don't suspect it."

"When will they not suspect it? We show up all the time."

"Here," She handed him the slightly crumpled paper. "There's a talent show in a few days, we'll amaze them all, then steal that little Pikachu, it's a perfect plan."

James lit up, squealing slightly, “You're right! We'll take our prize and then their pokémon!" He was excited, but at the same time the feel of the paper reminded him of the note in his other pocket, and an almost-promise with a blonde.

"We should start preparing tonight, ta' make sure you two don't mess it all up." Meowth decided, nodding his head. 

"Meowth's got a point, beauty such as mine doesn't need help, but we should know what we’re doing. Ooh, we could put on a magic show! Or..." Jessie grew quieter and quieter, mumbling to herself and counting with her fingers. 

"It's getting a bit late for practice, isn't it?" He suggested, although it was only four in the afternoon. “And, I have… a dentist appointment.” He said with the most seriousness he could muster.

Jessie huffed, but let it go. “Alright, I do need my beauty rest... but make sure you are ready to practice as soon as you get back! C'mon Meowth." She called, heading back to retrieve their belongings from their Meowth-themed hot air balloon they left behind, back when they were dealing with the twerps. Jessie mused about how they could have at least blasted them away with their balloon.

James watched them leave, and pulled out his note. The address wasn’t that of a house, he noted, but a hotel address and room number. He felt butterflies assaulting his stomach, but the dread of being rejected by Jessie and Meowth hung heavy over him. He considered his clothing, and wasn’t sure if his slightly dirty uniform would be odd. He knew all his costumes were back with the balloon, and knew it’d be suspicious if he showed up to change before a trip to the ‘dentist’. 

With a sigh, he pulled off his top, deciding that a plain black shirt was his only alternative. His shoulders were a bit cold in the sleeveless top, and it seemed almost wrong to wear everything but the shirt. He was a member of Team Rocket, and in a twisted, sweet way, they've become his family. Especially Jessie and Meowth, as fussy as they are. He could hang up the 'R' for a while, right? He folded it up neatly and tucked it safely into the branches of a tree in the park. It was barely visible, and that was only if you were looking. James just hoped no one would be.

It was getting later by the moment, and the clock had struck three not too long ago. He made his way across the unfamiliar town, map in hand as he strode. His focus was on the map so much, in fact, that he didn't even realise he walked straight into a young woman. 

They both fell back, surprised at the sudden impact they hadn't braced for. The woman was up first, and it wasn't hard to see why, being she looked like she probably lived in a dance fitness video, outfit and all. They both apologised at once, though she made very little attempt to look sorry.

"Are you ok?

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He got up, annoyed at the new patch of dirt on his pants.

She went quiet, before her she eyed his map on the ground. "You new here?"

"Yeah, I'm just here to visit a friend." He felt a bit like he was being examined, uncomfortable with her too-close proximity and wandering gaze.

She seemed to perk up, but James simply shook it off as her wanting to help. "Do you need help getting around?" 

He stopped to consider her offer, and surely she must know where she's going, at least. If not, he had his map. "Help would be great, if you could."

"So where are you going?" She fidgeted with her aqua ponytail with one hand, the other on her hip.

"The Cyndour Hotel."

The walk was uncomfortable, to say the least. The woman, who he learned to be named Maria, had more interest in him than where they were going. Her questions became more intrusive, as she asked about if he had any relationships, where he was planning to stay, and if he'd like to stay with her. He met most questions with a straight forward and no-thank-you answer, but she didn't seem to take the hints.

While her questions weren't inappropriate, her interrogation combined with her unwarranted hold on his waist were really starting to bug him. He kept his arms close, hoping that perhaps she'd figure out he was uninterested and quit. Her hand however, slipped lower, squeezing, and he'd had enough, his patience having run out with her.

"How long until we get there? It's almost four, and we've been walking in circles." He hissed, jerking out of her grip, now much farther away.

She seemed offended and hurt, but not quite in a disappointed way. "What's wrong? I thought you liked my company?"

"I'd like to get where I'm going, and I'd like to get there without you groping me!" He felt disgusted by her, and was starting to wish he hadn't said yes to her help after all.

She was silent at first, and her face showed her brewing anger. "Fine. You look like a street whore anyway!"

"What did you just call me?" 

"A dirty, little, cheap, whore." She punctuated every adjective with a condescending pause. "Get out of here. Wasting my time." She shoved him, turning back the way they came. 

He blinked, no longer as shocked, as he felt her shoulder him on her way. He finally reacted, grabbing her forearm without much plan ahead.

She shrieked immediately, with a voice that begged attention. "Let me go!" The sound was loud, and it was only a moment later he felt the sting of her hand against his face, and the faint taste of iron from his lip. She retracted her hand and ran off, leaving him to stand alone on the pavement, not sure where to go. 

It was quiet again, as most people ignored the scene, deciding that it wasn't their business. A few murmurs had been born out of the commotion, but they had died down. He pulled out his crinkled map, finding relief in that The Cyndour wasn't too far. 

By the time he got there it was a quarter past four, and he found the towering building to be much scarier than the ones he had passed. This one contained someone who made him nauseous in a good way, and he was nervous to enter the lobby. 

He passed by a mirror, his appearance hitting him like a punch in the gut. His hair was roughed up, his lip was a bit bloody on one side, and he looked like he hardly slept in a year. Not to mention his clothes, or the bruise on his arm from their twerp related escapades. His throat felt tight as he walked up to the receptionist, hoping to find out where the room was. 

She was a bit hesitant at first, and her eyes betrayed her as she lingered on his lip and arm. She watched him like he was possibly dangerous, but her burning gaze, at least, wasn't of pity.

He followed the map, which she didn't make much attempt at explaining, and found the nearest elevator. He was gladly alone in it, and counted the floors as they passed. His goal was level 7, and his final destination was room 422. He was hesitant to step out, feeling like maybe he should just get back now and avoid the disappointment of the inevitable annoyance or disgust from the blonde, and remember him as the nice man in the forest instead.

He took a few breathes, each time he exhaled trying to muster up the courage to get near the door. He finally pushed himself to walk over, albeit a bit awkwardly. He was glad there wasn't anyone else in the hall, but the silence was heavy and thick.

His mouth felt dry, but he knocked anyway, hoping he was even there. After a moment of silence he was on the verge of leaving, until he heard the excited shriek of 'one second!'

He found it odd, but waited patiently as directed nonetheless. He folded up the hotel map and shoved it into his pocket, glad that they could hold a decent amount without too much bulk. He was wrapped in his thoughts when the door opened, and he nearly jumped back. While his legs stayed in place, the sudden jerk was obvious, much to his embarrassment.

"James!" He took him by surprise, even more energetic than when they first met. "I was worried you got lost."

He treated James like a friend, someone he knew and cared for, and it made him feel giddy but scared at once. "I did, actually, but I found a map." He decided Maria was a story for another day, and pushed her to the back of his mind, although her comments on his appearance made him more self conscious than usual.

"Your lip, are you ok? Here come in." He offered, the generic-but-clean hotel room very appealing to the eyes in its shades of wood brown and soft yellow. 

He stepped inside, and immediately could tell it wasn't a small room, with the fact that the room he was in didn't contain a bed, meaning it had to be separate- or it was a fold out only, but that seemed unlikely. He realised he never answered, and was quick to explain. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I just got into trouble." He almost started talking again at the word 'trouble', his motto built in hard to repress. 

"I'm sorry. Hey, if you want you can wash your face, there's a bathroom over there."

He smiled and nodded, slipping off quietly to where he gestured. He looked so gentle even when he was excited, like a small dog, he noted. When he stepped into the small room, it almost pained him to look at his reflection again. Was he just pitying him? He looked pitiful. He washed his face, somewhat pleased to find his face looking at least a bit cleaner, and his lip no longer stained, although it was a tad bit swollen. 

When he stepped out he found the gym leader with his knees on the couch, bending over it to the back, and trying to grab something. All he could see was his cargo shorts and yellow running shoes sticking out from between the couch and the wall. He wasn't sure if he should offer his help, or let him handle it. Either way, he mumbled about having 'got it' before pulling himself back up, a Pikachu in his arms. 

James was more than surprised to find his rival having the very same time of pokémon as his enemy, the main twerp. "You have a Pikachu?"

"Yup! His name is Jolt!" He exclaimed, whispering quietly after. "Isn't he amazing?"

Said pokémon was curious and tilted it's head, a small questioning sound emitted from the electric mouse. 

He found it odd that the trainer had a nice so similar to the pokémon, but figured it probably had a reason. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure! You won't zap him will ya' Jolt?"

He made a noise of assurance, smiling. 

"It's alright, I've been at the receiving end of a Pikachu's electricity before." He assured, watching the pokémon in his arms. James was hesitant to reach out, but found that the laid back Pikachu didn't mind his petting in the slightest, and seemed to rather enjoy it.

"Here, hold him." He handed him the electric-type, walking off to his bag. He pulled off his dual orange and black sweater, stuffing it in, before slipping it onto his shoulder. His tank top was black, and tight too, accented only by his bright pendant he seemed to favour wearing.

James was surprised to be holding such a pokémon, but took to cradling the soft yellow mouse. Is this why the twerp likes them so much? He found petting the pokémon soothing, and while he adored his Weezing and Victreebel, neither had fur. Even Jessie's pokémon were furless. Their only member who had fur was Meowth, who didn't exactly always want to be cuddled.

"Do you want to go down to the hotel park? It's not that big, but it's a perfect place to check out each other's pokémon!" 

How could James say no to his precious face? He nodded, one hand reaching down to make sure his pokéballs were even still with him before starting to walk, Jolt still happily being held. James noticed he was a bit smaller than Ash's, but looked just a healthy. Maybe Ash's was just chubby.

He made his way down the hall back to the elevator, finding it easier to get out onece he's traveled the path before. They went down to the lobby floor, passing by the receptionist who, of course, had to make awkward eye contact with him.

It felt odd to be carrying a Pikachu in his arms, knowing full well how hard Team Rocket worked for a Pikachu, only for it to slip away time after time. But here he was, not stealing this Pikachu. The halls and doors blurred into each other as they walked, his focus on the gym trainer in front of him. The only door that he really noticed after the lobby was the one that clearly led them outside.

The hotel park was indeed a bit small in the seating area, but the sections of grass, sand, and a pond made for the pokémon ensured that they were welcome to rest there too, although the 'no battle' policy was strictly enforced, judging by the reminding notices on the walls. 

He watched Spark set down his orange and black duffel bag, which matched his usual attire's colour scheme. He set down Jolt, the little Pikachu sprinting off to play in the grass. 

"You've met Jolt," he started, digging into his bag. His pause was fairly long, as he seemed to be lost in his own bag. James took this as a good time to take a seat on the generic white plastic chair, pulling his legs up to sit cross legged, hands on his ankles.

"But you have gotta meet... Ace!" He grinned, and pulled out a handful of pokéballs. He managed to send out just one, and soon he found it was a Mareep, and an eager one at that, as it looked ready to battle. 

James couldn't help but smile. He adored fluffy little Mareeps, and it seemed the feeling was mutual as it rubbed it's head against his wrist, looking for attention.

Spark was quick to call out his last Pokémon with him, a Magnemite named Bolt. 

Bolt, Jolt, Ace. This guy really likes naming his pokémon. His Magnemite was very shy, and flew off to play with his Pikachu instead of interact with him, but he didn't mind. He was absentmindedly petting Ace's head, he almost didn't hear Spark talk to him.

"Do you have any other pokémon James?" He seemed genuinely interested, and the fact he kept saying his name just made him feel more important than he usually did.

"Oh, yes! Weezing, come out!" He opened his pokéball, watching the form take shape into his beloved purple pokémon. 

Spark was over in an instant, checking over his Weezing. "Did you evolve it yourself? It's pretty healthy." 

"I did, thanks. I think I have a picture of it when it was a Koffing, one moment..." he dug through his pockets, his bottle caps jingling together.

"You keep all your change in your pocket?"

"Well, not exactly, those are my bottle caps."

James didn't really expect him to comment on that, and if he did he figured it would be somewhere along the lines of disappointment. Interest he didn't expect.

"Ooh hey can I see?" He sat down in the chair beside him, one leg kneeling on the chair and the other on the ground. It seemed like neither of them could sit in a chair properly for the time being. 

Weezing had wandered off the Magnemite and Pikachu, and seemed pleased with their company as far as James could tell. 

The mixture of their pokémon at play and the calm atmosphere made James at ease, and he had forgotten about the not so thrilling walk earlier that day. "Yeah, here!" He pulled out a few from his pocket, wishing he had more with him. "This is only a few, I have more, they're back at my... room."

Spark seemed to enjoy examining both pokémon and objects, as he gently moved them around in his hand. "I have some too, but I left them at my house. Maybe I could see more of yours tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" James had hoped for the best but braced for the worst when he came here, still not quite sure if he could manage to slip off again. 

"Yeah, if that's ok with you. Maybe tomorrow morning?"

James felt a bit red in the cheeks, the feeling of being sought out for company was euphoric. "Yeah, of course. Hey, Spark? How long are you staying here?"

"For the next three days. Then I'm heading back home. Hey, where do you live?"

James wasn't sure how to answer. His literal 'home' was his parents estate, but he'd never live there again. To be honest, the balloon was more a home than anything else, as his only physical constant beside his teammates. "I travel."

"Oh. Hey, maybe you'll visit me then?"

It was about half past five now, and it felt like time was moving faster than was fair. "I will. It's getting late."

Spark looked over at his pokémon, as they played. Well, Bolt played with Weezing, Jolt was asleep on a chair. He really did like naps outside. "Yeah a bit. Are you hungry?"

James couldn't deny he was hungry. To be fair, he almost never had enough food, and he simply couldn't refuse. "Very."

Spark called back his Magnemite, his Mareep following soon after. He put his bag strap over his shoulder before waking up Jolt. James only had to call back Weezing, as he didn't feel like getting gnawed on at the moment. He watched Spark start towards the stairway instead of the elevator, and questioned him.

"It's healthier. At least that's what Candela says. I'm not sure, but it can't hurt to try." He started up the stairs, and before James could question who Candela was or if he could take the elevator and meet him there, he saw the man come crashing down. 

He was knocked back as the gym leader fell onto him, having tripped after only five steps. His bag, who's sway most likely was the culprit, had landed beside him. 

"Hey, are you okay Spark?"

"Aha, I'm fine. I'm taking the elevator." He got up, only then noticing he had landed on his friend. "Oh man- I'm sorry. Here," 

James got up with his assistance, now generally sore in almost every area. "At least you promised there'd be food."

They both walked into the elevator, James noticing his well scuffed elbow. "Are you alright? That looks like it hurts."

"This? Nothing. One time I fell off my roof while trying to teach my Pidgey how to fly."

"Teaching it? Don't most Pidgeys fly?" 

"This one was afraid of learning, he was just a baby. I hatched him myself, in fact I hatched my little Jolt too! Raised him from a Pichu."

James had to say he was impressed. "You really care about pokémon don't you?"

"Oh, they're amazing, I love them!"

He was always so happy when he talked about pokémon, and James could see such a brightness in his blue eyes, it made him smile just a bit from it.

When the elevator door opened, Spark had practically forgotten about his fall and sprinted to his room, failing twice to open the door. 

James had initially seen him as wise and graceful, but his current actions proved a bit more childish and clumsy than he thought. He didn't mind, really. He felt at ease, like he wasn't being judged, like he wasn't Team Rocket, like he wasn't the son of two soulless rich people, he was just James. 

By the time he had stepped inside, Spark was boiling up water and Jolt was sitting on the small round dining table patiently. "Have a seat Jamie." He instructed, having given him a casual nickname now.

"Jamie?"

"Would you prefer something else?" He asked while pouring the steaming water into two cups. 

"No, it's fine." He didn't want to say he liked it per se, but he did. He liked it a lot. "What can I call you."

Spark laughed, bringing over two cups of instant ramen noodle, winking. "You can call me whatever you want." 

James cleared his throat, feeling a bit warm, and focused on the food. 

"I know, I know, but it's it's literally all I have in this room right now. That, and a box of cereal."

James wasn't amazed, but at least the man was honest. Besides, it being free food, he couldn't really complain. "Thanks for the food anyway, Spark." He smiled, and the genuine smile he got back was worth it.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Jolt eating his food between them, the others having already been fed.

"Jolt's special to me. You know? He's my best friend, my teammate. I mean, I have Candela and Blanche too, but they're people for the record. What about you, who are your friends Jamie?"

James was nervous, but swallowed it down with his bite of the cheap soup. "Hmm... Jessie, Meowth, and... you I suppose."

"Cool. Is the Meowth yours?"

James had to laugh at that, which made Spark curious. "No, he's a wild pokémon, really. More of a person than a pokémon sometimes."

"Really? How's that? C'mon you gotta tell me!"

He couldn't really say no, not with him looking so enthusiastic. "Well, he can talk just like a person."

"Really? That must be amazing!"

"Not when he never stops talking." He mused, feeling warm inside, and not just his stomach. 

Spark reached over, fixing a strand of hair that drifted away into his face. James looked at his arm, noticing it was somewhat lean, but not exactly muscular. Jame's own were skinnier, and despite all their manual work he didn't eat enough to gain very much muscle. The slight malnourishment was just a part of being in Team Rocket he supposed. Once he was in the boss's favour that would change, he was sure of it.

The clock struck six, and James knew he had to get back pretty soon. "I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow. What time?"

"Hmm... anytime around nine or ten is good."

"I'll be there."

He made his way out, saying goodbye to the two, his eyes lingering on the man more than he'd have liked. He left, this time feeling giddy and gleeful, like he wanted to squeal. He skipped to the elevator, feeling light despite his bruises and sore limbs. He left the lobby, and noticed it was someone else on shift this time.

It was dark outside, the sun going down as he walked, and he hoped he could make it to his teammates in time. The forests drew closer, and he knew he made a promise this time to return, and this time he knew he would.

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully I'll add a new chapter by next week, or sooner!


End file.
